


The First Time

by aquilaofarkham



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Bisexual Character of Color, Bisexual Male Character, Canon Bisexual Character, First Kiss, Interracial Relationship, Intimacy, M/M, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2016-04-05
Packaged: 2018-05-31 08:35:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6463252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquilaofarkham/pseuds/aquilaofarkham
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Preston Garvey and the Sole Survivor share their first kiss while working on a hot day in the Commonwealth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The First Time

Quiet, uneventful days in the Commonwealth occurred very rarely but when they did, the survivors considered them to be luxuries. As for the newly appointed General of the Minutemen and his right hand man, there was still much work to be done. All morning the two of them worked together on what was going to be a new house in one of the growing settlements. By high noon, only the frame seemed partially complete. Still, it had turned out to be a hot day and one of the men continuously urged his leader to not overwork himself.

It was something Preston couldn’t help himself from doing. The General, Joseph Tokwiroh-Bane, was capable of handling himself but he still felt the need to protect and watch over him. He didn’t smother him; all Preston did was give some gentle reminders, whether they concerned him eating enough, getting enough rest, or being vigilant when in combat. Preston did everything that was necessary, lest he lost yet another person he deeply cared for. Joseph meant too much to him.

After wiping his sweat-drenched forehead, he looked up to see how his partner was doing with the roof portion. Straddling one of the wooden beams between his legs, Joseph kept hammering away. He wasn’t wearing much, just a simple white undershirt and loose fitting jeans. Preston wore his usual ensemble, save for the heavy coat, scarf, and decorated vest.

“Hey up there!” He called out. “Ready to take a break?”

“Yeah, I’ll be down in a second,” Joseph replied. While he climbed down, Preston got two cups ready and filled them with water from a nearby pump. He noticed Dogmeat basking in the sun, thoroughly enjoying his extended naptime. Letting out a big sigh, Joseph sat down beside Preston, taking the second cup out of his hand.

“Thanks.” He started drinking, almost emptying the entire thing.

“Don’t mention it.”

“This is way more complicated than how they made it seem in all the magazines.” Joseph quipped, his chest rising up and down with each heavy breath.

“That’s just the heat talking. I think it’s looking pretty good so far.”

“Yeah, so far. The roof still needs a lot of work.”

Preston patted Joseph’s back. “We’ll get it done in time. The new tenants are already getting excited.”

“Speaking of which, you haven’t told me who’s planning on moving in here.”

“A family of three. Well, almost three. In a couple months from now, they’ll have a newborn baby.” Preston sounded hopeful about the good news but when he turned to Joseph, his optimistic attitude faded.

“That’s… that’s great.” No matter how hard he tried to share his Lieutenant’s enthusiasm, no matter how much he _wanted_ to, Joseph couldn’t. Some thing, some painful memory, held him back and Preston quickly realized what it was.

“I… I’m so sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to…”

“Wait…” Joseph interrupted, his somber expression gradually changing. “This is the first time I’ve heard you call me babe.” Preston’s cheeks went bright red.

“Sorry, that – I wasn’t thinking when I said that, I…” As he stumbled with his words, Joseph smiled and reached over to remove the large hat covering his flustered face.

“Don’t worry about it, Preston. And I’m fine, you don’t need to apologize.”

“Oh… okay.” His face was still hot with embarrassment and infatuation.

“Though I’m not sure I’d really want to raise a kid in the Commonwealth.”

“With the way it is now, neither would I. But we’re changing that.”

After that statement, the two of them went silent. Preston glanced over at Joseph as he fiddled with the empty cup in his hands. Despite his reassurance, he felt guilty for bringing up such a sensitive topic. He knew about Joseph’s mission and all those times when the grief and doubt got the better of him. The General became well known for his lighthearted attitude, but it wasn’t always convincing. Both men knew that.

Preston learned a long time ago that nothing in the Commonwealth came easily. At the very beginning he told Joseph it wasn’t going to be all sunshine and rainbows from then on out. He was right, but that didn’t mean the two of them were invincible. There were times when they felt hopeless, frustrated, and overwhelmed. All Preston wanted to do was remind Joseph that despite all those negative factors, they could still be happy. He didn’t know if his efforts helped, but he kept trying.

“You know, Preston,” Joseph finally spoke up. “You look really handsome with your hat off.”

“Ah… really? Thanks…” Once again, Preston was at a lost for words. He always wore the dusty wide-brimmed cowboy hat for a few reasons. One: to keep the sun out of his eyes and two: to hide the scar on his left cheek. There were also the blemishes from years of fighting and the light stubble, things that never looked good in Preston’s mind. And yet someone had just called him handsome without a hint of sarcasm or ridicule. It caught him off guard, like most things the General did.

“I should get back to working on the rest of the roof,” Joseph said.

“Sure thing…” He replied, watching as he stood up and walked away. _I should be the one calling you handsome_.

Admittedly, Preston found himself admiring Joseph on many occasions, especially after they recently confessed their real feelings for each other. There was his personality; down to earth, generous, and at times very humorous, then there was his appearance. Long black hair falling well past his shoulders, brown skin, a body that was much larger in both muscle and softness than Preston’s, and eyes that held an almost affectionate look to them. Whenever they talked, it was difficult keeping his attention off of Joseph’s eyes, not to mention his lips.

“Shit-!” That was the only word Joseph was able to get out before Preston heard a crash and then a loud _THUMP_ following it. He turned and saw the General lying on his side, hissing in pain with his tools and toolbox scattered around him. Panic immediately set in as Preston rushed to his side.

“Jesus, are you okay?!” He asked, carefully lifting his head off the wooden floor.

“Fine…” Joseph groaned.

“What happened?”

“One of the beams must have broken when I put my foot on it.”

“How does your head feel? Is anything broken? Can you see all right?”

“Preston, slow down. I’m okay. It was just a bit of a shock. Nothing’s broken and I don’t feel faint. Just a nasty bruise and maybe a little bump on the head, that’s it.”

Preston tried calming himself down, even though his heart was pounding wildly. “You scared me there for a second,” he sighed before pulling Joseph into a tight hug and kissing the top of his head.

“Actually… it also hurts right here.” Joseph said, pointing to his cheek. Preston looked at him, confused at first, but soon understood what he really wanted. Leaning forward, he gave him a second kiss. Joseph then pointed to his forehead and Preston gave him a third one. “This spot doesn’t feel so good either…” The fourth and softest one went right on the neck just below his jawline.

“Anywhere else?”

“… here.” Joseph answered, placing a fingertip on his bottom lip. Preston’s eyebrows rose at the request; at least the General was being honest. And he was more than happy to comply. Gently holding the back of his head, Preston kissed him. Joseph reacted by returning the favour. He opened his mouth and allowed the kiss to go slower and deeper.

Preston meanwhile closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of soft, full lips on his. His hands began to wander further and further down until they settled on Joseph’s hips. Just as he slipped a couple fingers up his shirt, tracing them along his warm skin, they switched positions with Joseph on top of him.

“Ow!” He yelped when Preston accidentally touched a tender spot. “Careful there.”

“Sorry, sorry! Am I going too fast? I know you wanted to take things slow…”

Joseph smiled and rested his palm against Preston’s cheek. “We still can, but don’t be so cautious whenever there’s a little passion between us.”

“So… you’re okay with this?” Joseph’s smile widened as he lowered himself onto Preston’s chest. They weren’t in the most ideal location or position for such an embrace but at the same time, neither of them wanted to move.

“I love you. How’s that for an answer?”

Preston responded with even more kisses to his sore head. He still felt a combination of surprise, excitement, and happiness when he heard those words.

**Author's Note:**

> Written in honour of Preston Garvey Week on tumblr. If you want to know more about sole survivor Joseph Bane, come talk to me about him (and Preston) at aquilaofarkham.tumblr.com or discendo.tumblr.com~


End file.
